Angela grinned and looked over at LaToya, knowing she was the only one of her friends who hadn’t heard the news.
“Well,” Angela answered, pulling her hair behind her ear. “He and I had dinner again for the second time last night.”
“And,” Kristen pushed. “How did it go?”
“It was so romantic. After a great dinner, he took me back to his place and fixed me a nightcap. Then we sat by the fireplace and kissed all night.”
“All you did was kiss?” Kristen asked disappointed.
“Among other things,” Angela laughed. She raised her brow. “He has big feet, big fingers and big...everything else.”
“Bryon’s got a big penis!” Deana laughed. “So, he does have everything. Damn, I wish he had asked me out that night. I could use a good man, with a good job and no children. He almost seems unreal.”
LaToya sat down with them and sipped her wine. Blushing for them, she thought about her client and nodded her head. She had guessed that about Byron. She couldn’t even name how many times she had thought about him and how attractive he was, but she knew that she wasn’t his type. It was a lost cause.
“Well, I’m glad that I could introduce you two,” LaToya said chiming in.
“I’m glad you did, too, girl. Good looking out. ” Angela rubbed LaToya’s leg. “He’s wonderful or something like it. The only thing I don’t like is his work schedule. He works all the time.”
“I know. So does Mitch,” LaToya said quickly.
The circle became quiet, and suddenly only the crackle of the fire could be heard.
“Mitch?” Angela looked over at LaToya. “The white boy from the club?”
“Oh, he’s a client now. Remember? That was the entire reason for him even coming over,” LaToya explained. “And he’s always working when I’m there.”
“Uh huh,” Kristen said laughing. “She has been glowing all day.”
“I have not,” LaToya scoffed. “He’s a nice enough guy. He’s just had a hard time since he’s been here.”
“Well, maybe you should help him out,” Deana joked. “Cook that brother a meal. Wait for him to get off work and be in his bed naked with a bottle of lube and a bowl of cherries.”
“No,” LaToya laughed. “He doesn’t like me that way. He’s just a client. I mean, true we did go out for drinks last night but...”
The circle erupted in happy laughter.
“This bitch has been holding out on us all night! You didn’t tell us that you had a man,” Deana cackled.
“You know I hate when you use that word,” LaToya admonished.
“And she’s blushing,” Angela pointed out. “She’s been seeing the white boy and didn’t want her girls to find out.”
“No,” LaToya shrugged the notion off. “He doesn’t like me like that.”
“Are you sure?” Kristen asked.
“Why would he?” LaToya shook her head. “I’m not his type. He probably is attracted to little, bitsy, blonde, blue-eyed, prissy...”
“Not all men want that, LaToya,” Deana said.
“How would you guys know? Neither of you are above a size eight. I’m fighting to stay in a 14. Shit, I’ve gained five pounds in the last month.”
“Well, have you been working out?” Angela asked. “I keep telling you to come with me to the gym. If you want a man, girl, you’re going to have to get rid of some of that weight. It blocks them from seeing you. Men with money don’t date big women. That’s probably the only thing that is keeping you two from hooking up.”
“I don’t have time,” LaToya said, uncomfortable about talking about her size. “And if a man can’t like me for me, then I don’t want him.”
“No man likes you for just you. He likes you because you look a certain way, cook a certain way, screw a certain way, make a certain wage...you feel me?” Deana said, taking a large gulp of wine from her glass.
“Look, if you like him, then you need to do what it takes to get him,” Kristen added, pouring another glass of wine. “It’s not that much weight. Get lipo. I know you have the money.”
“And once you drop the weight, then you’ll get the man for sure,” Angela agreed.
“He doesn’t like me,” LaToya said softly. She really wished that they would all shut up.
“Did he tell you he didn’t like you?” Deana asked.
“No,” LaToya put her glass to her lips. “I just know.”
***
In the tranquil silence of her backyard after her friends had left and everything had been cleaned, LaToya sat in her lawn chair with her feet propped up and looked up at the full moon and the incandescent stars. Life was peaceful again now that she was alone. It was strange how accustomed she had become to being in solitude and how relaxed she was with that fact.
Her mother always worried that she would grow old alone. After the break-up, she had begged her to stay in San Diego and not run from her life. There was one problem for LaToya in doing that. If she stayed, she knew that she’d never really heal from her broken heart. Plus, her mother was married, her sisters were married, even her brother was married. Everything was just a constant reminder of what she did not have. At least now, all though she did have the occasional lonely night and sad moments during holidays, she enjoyed her life and what she had chosen to do with it.
Looking at her watch, she decided that it was time to get to bed. Morning would come soon for her and while she did take the day off to relax, she was quite certain that she would make up for it tomorrow.
Going into her perfectly clean, all-white bathroom, she turned the silver, shiny knobs on her garden bathtub and lit her vanilla candles. She was just about to grab her towels when she noticed the light blinking on her phone. One missed call.
She checked it to find that Mitch had called. She dialed him back quickly, sure that he was just checking to make sure that she would come the next day.
“Hi Mitch, you called?”
“Yes, I did. How are you?”
“Fine.” She avoided the small talk.
“Good. Look, this is really a big favor that I have to ask, but I have a meeting tomorrow that is really important, and it’s scheduled during the time that my ex wife is bringing Zach over. Can you stay with him until I arrive by any chance?” His voice pleaded.
“Mitch, that’s not my job.”
“I know. I know. Trust me. It just that I don’t really have anyone else, and if I give her any leeway with my visiting times, I won’t see him all weekend. And I just can’t bear to have him spend my time with the pediatrician.”
“Mitch’s it’s not professional for me to go from cleaning service to babysitter...”
“I’m not asking from one professional to another. I’m asking you as a friend. Please, Latoya,” he begged.
LaToya rolled her eyes and sighed. Shifting her weight from one foot to another, she crossed her arms. “Just this once.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much,” he said relieved. “I’ll make this up to you. I promise.”
“The way to make it up to me is to never put me in this position again.”
“I won’t. But thanks. You’re saving my ass.”
“Goodnight, Mitch.”
“See you tomorrow.”
LaToya hung up the phone and shook her head. What was she getting herself into?
***
One o’clock on the dot, LaToya arrived at the O’Keefe house with cleaning baskets in tow. Opening the door of the house, she sat her supplies down and turned off the alarm, then made her way to the kitchen. On the island table was a note from Mitch thanking her for the favor and promising to make it up to her. She doubted that he could.
Well after the last room had been cleaned, the doorbell rang. Just on time, she thought, at least the little bugger didn’t interrupt me before I finished cleaning. With the click of the remote, she got up from the couch and made her way to the front door. As she approached, she could see a woman’s shape behind the stain glass window and
a child beside her peering inside with his hands firmly placed on the glass. Ugh, I just cleaned those, she thought.
LaToya turned the knob slowly, dreading for some reason meeting Mitch’s ex-wife. As the door opened and the hinges creaked, the woman on the other side stood smiling and ushered her son inside. With his luggage in tow, she stopped in the foyer, refusing to go any further into her old home.
You must be LaToya,” the woman said, extending her hand. “Hi. I’m Elaine.”
LaToya was lost for words. His ex-wife. His baby’s mother. His heart breaker was a black woman. Her hair was pulled back in a soft, short amber ponytail. Her features were fair lending to the possibility that she was multiracial with her slim nose and thin lips, but more than anything, Elaine was black. LaToya tried to repress her smirk.
“Hi, Elaine. I’m LaToya...the cleaning lady. Mitch asked me to stay for a while and watch your son until he arrives.”
Elaine shifted her Gucci purse on her shoulder and looked back for her son, who had quietly made his way up the stairs to his room.
She stumbled over her words and spoke softly. “Mitch said that you were a friend. He didn’t say that you were his cleaning lady.” She smirked. “For a moment, I have to admit, I was jealous.” Elaine actually seemed relieved.
LaToya chuckled. “Well, I’m a friend, too...I guess.” She frowned.
Elaine nodded. “Regardless, thank you for doing this for him. Felix and I are going on a small road trip and if Mitch hadn’t had someone to watch Zach then he would have had to go with us.”
“Oh. I understand. No, it’s no problem.” LaToya stood in her place, confused but enlightened.
“If you need anything, I’ve written my numbers here.” She proudly passed Dr. Felix Hampstead’s card to LaToya with her numbers written on the back in red ink.
“Thank you.” LaToya took the card and smiled again. “I’m sure that we’ll be fine.”
“Okay then.” Elaine laughed nervously. “Well, it was nice meeting you, but I best be off. I’m way behind schedule.” She made her way to the entrance.
With a small nod, LaToya closed the door behind Elaine and then turned to look past the foyer at the stairs. Should she go up there and see if the little guy was hungry? Should she ignore him?
A thought crossed her mind. It probably wasn’t smart to ignore a nine year old. If he got into trouble of some sort, she would be responsible, because stupidly, she’d gotten herself involved.
Hiking up the stairs, she went to the room at the end of the hall and knocked on the door. The television was already blasting.
“It’s open,” the boy said dryly.
LaToya opened the door and found Zach in front of his television playing his Wii.
“Hey,” LaToya said, leaning against his desk.
“Hey is for horses,” he said, without looking up.
“Well some hey is for trying to be nice to little kids who don’t introduce themselves when they meet an adult.” She raised her brow at him.
Zach looked up. His eyes were the same color as his father’s, a deep, tranquil green. His skin was only slightly kissed by the sun giving him a permanent and beautiful tan and his cheeks were rosy red. He was tall for his age and bordering on pudgy. Curly masses of black hair topped his head, and he wore plaid like his father and a pair of dark khakis. He looked just like the many pictures of him on the walls throughout the house. Only before knowing who his mother was, LaToya just attributed Zach’s color to something other than melanin.
“Hello, I’m Zachary,” he said, turning from his toy. “What’s your name?”
“LaToya Jenkins. I’m a friend of your dad’s.”
“I’ve heard that before.” He turned and started to play the game again. “Are you and my dad getting married? Are you going to have a baby or something like mom and Felix?” He kept his eyes on the television.
LaToya shook her head. “No, I clean his house. Good grief.” She tried not to sound surprised considering what she knew the boy had gone through.
Zach didn’t respond.
“Are you hungry or something? If you are, I can fix you something to eat. Otherwise, I’ll leave you to your hypnotics, because you sort of freak me out.”
“Can I have a sandwich?” he asked.
“Sure, let me see what your dad has. You wanna stop playing that and come downstairs for a minute.” She motioned towards the door.
He put down the control on his entertainment cabinet. “What are hypnotics?” he asked, looking up at her under heavy eyelashes with a curious gaze.
“Those computer games put you in a state of um...oblivion about the world. You should try reading a book.”
He walked beside her. “A book? You don’t have kids, do you?”
“Nope. You can tell?”
“Yeah,” he said, cracking his knuckles.
***
Right before dusk, tired mentally and physically, Mitch put his key in the front door of his home and opened it. As he entered the house and closed the door, he heard something that he had not heard in a long time. Laughter. It was his son and LaToya. Their voices blended to make a blissful melody of happiness that rang through the halls. Unexpectedly, it sent goose bumps up his arm. He hadn’t heard his son laugh like that in a long time. And there was something else he hadn’t had in a long time. The smell of food cooking in his kitchen, emanating through his house like a fragrance of pure love.
The glow of the sun setting in the horizon made the house appear to be literally alive. The dancing flickers of light beamed brightly through the windows as its blaze faded into the distance. The burnt yellow walls topped with white crown molding, decorated with beautiful art and low, receding lights under expensive tile floors, adorned with elegant furniture seemed like a real home tonight. It was the first time that he felt like he had actually walked into his life again. The house was clean. His son was laughing. Food was cooking, and there was a woman waiting for him after a long day at the office.
Quietly, he put down his briefcase, dropped his blueprints at the table in the foyer and walked slowly down the hall, trying hard not to be detected. As he got closer, he heard his son asking LaToya a question.
“So you’ve read it?” Zach asked.
“Yes,” LaToya replied.
“Well, what happens? I’ve got an assignment in class on Moby Dick. It’s supposed to be a classic or something, but if you ask me, it blows. No one wants to read it. I want to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but Ms. Clementine won’t let us.”
“You should read Moby Dick. It is a classic. And if I tell you what happens, then you won’t read it. And then you’ll have missed out.”
“I won’t read it anyway,” he joked. “Why don’t they just make every book into movie? It’s so much easier.”
“Some books are better in print, Zach. I’ve seen the Moby Dick movie. It’s lacking.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s better on paper.”
“No, it’s not.” He paused. “How many books have you read anyway?”
“Thousands.”
“Thousands?” Zach asked in disbelief. His voice sounded exasperated at the thought. “Why?”
“Because,” she hunched her shoulders and smiled. “I love to read.”
LaToya didn’t want to tell him that single people had to find a serious hobby to make up for the time that they weren’t spending with a mate, and many like her preferred reading to get away from the life that they currently had to go to a place that they’d never been. It was one of her favorite hobbies. In fact, she had turned her spare bedroom into a full library, where she had collected over 2,000 books.
Mitch stood in the doorway watching the two as they talked. Zach sat on the island beside LaToya while she stood cutting up vegetables and preparing their meal. The two had only just met, but it seemed that they had known each other for a lifetime. Their chemistry was pleasant and easy, unlike how he’d seen his son with the pediatrician. Zach liked her
. He liked her.
Dipping his head to hide the emotions that he was sure he wore on his tired face, he looked down at his brown boots to fight the pain of what he missed, what he longed for. He wanted someone there doing just what she was doing on a permanent basis, not cooking, not cleaning but nurturing. More than his son needed it. He needed it. It was such a shame that he had lost it not to being a cheat or a bastard, but by being a good man.
The Ugly Girlfriend (The Lonely Heart Series) Page 4